<DIV>This collector's edition contains all 180 stunning images that artist Gustave Dore created when asked to undertake a portrait of London. The hardcover volume is 9.5 in x 11.8, and its beautiful page decorations and the text laid alongside the images creates a unique reading experience for lovers of literature, London, and illustration alike. <BR><BR>The book is broken into four sections: Riches, Rags, Work, and Play. Each of these sections features literature from a contemporary great. The "Riches" section features <I>The Eustance Diamonds</I> by Anthony Trollope, <I>The Woman in White</I> by Wilkie Collins, and <I>The Picture of Dorian Gray</I> by Oscar Wilde. "Rags" features <I>Sketches by Boz </I>by Charles Dickens, <I>The Mysteries of London </I>by G.M.W. Reynolds, and <I>Oliver Twist</I> by Charles Dickens. <BR><BR>The "Work" section features <I>The Little World of London </I>by Charles Manby Smith, <I>London: A Pilgrimage </I>by Blanchard Jerrold, and <I>London Labour and the London Poor </I>by Henry Mayhew. Finally, "Play" features <I>The Princess Casamassima</I> by Henry James, <I>Pendennis </I>by W.M. Thackeray and <I>Twice Around the Clock </I>by G.A. Sala. <BR><BR>This handsome volume truly is a necessary addition to any reader's library, and manages to put in context nearly all of London during this period of massive change and dramatic class differences. It makes a wonderful gift for anyone who values history and classic literature. </div>